Workout of the Day
Class Schedule During Regionals
Thanks to our awesome coaching staff there will be very few changes to the class schedule next week/weekend during The CrossFit Games Regional competition in Del Mar. Even though most of the coaches will be in attendance at Regionals (along with 40 or so of our members making the trip down to cheer on Sarah), we'll be able to keep a relatively normal schedule with a handful of coaches holding down the fort!
The only changes to next week/weekend's class schedule are as follows:
Friday, May 13: 6pm Barbell Class Cancelled
Saturday, May 14th: 11am Gladiators Class Cancelled
Sunday, May 15th: 9am Barbell Class Cancelled
Monday, May 16th: 7pm Barbell Class ADDED (make-up class for Friday/Sunday)
WOD for 05-07-16:
WITH A PARTNER, For Time:
BUY-IN TOGETHER: 1000m Run
Then Split The Following...
100 Toes-to-Bar
50 Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
100 Kettlebell Swings @ 70/53 lbs
50 Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
All movements (EXCEPT for the run which is TOGETHER) may be split/shared/partitioned in any fashion by the team, with one athlete working at a time. The toes-to-bar cannot start until both athletes have completed the run.
Lost & Found: Last Call
LAST CALL for the gym's Lost & Found bin and Water Bottle Graveyard! We'll be donating all contents after this weekend, so take a final look if you think you might be missing something.
I can't say the words "last call" out loud (or in my head) without wanting to flash the lights on and off, and watch some giant doorman shoo people out of the building. And, of course, this song plays in my head:
Happy Friday! I hope you weren't out until last call on Thursday night because here comes our friend, Mr. 6x6...
WOD for 05-06-16:
ON A RUNNING CLOCK...
A) From 0:00 - 15:00
"Partner Baseline"
For Quality:
1000m Row
80 Air Squats
60 AbMat Sit-ups
40 Push-ups
20 Pull-ups
Partners split the reps evenly, with only one partner working at a time. This is FOR QUALITY not for time, so move with a purpose (i.e. don't lollygag or you won't be done by 15:00) but prioritize movement to prepare/warm the entire body for 6x6 back squats.
B) From 15:00 - 50:00
Back Squat (Week 4, Day 2):
6x6 @ 80%
Across
Regionals Day 3 Events Announced!
OK folks, the Day 3 Events for the 2016 CrossFit Games Regionals have been announced and we now know what the entire weekend of competition holds for Coach Sarah and all of the other top CrossFitters who begin the Regionals phase of the Games Season. Check out all the workout details here (we've also pasted the Events snapshot below) and then watch the CrossFit Games Update Show coverage of Events 6 and 7 that were announced on Wednesday (also included below).
The countdown is on, just over a week away! GO SARAH GO!!!
WOD for 05-05-16:
Alternating EMOM for 4 Rounds (8 Minutes):
EVENS: 10- 14 Handstand Shoulder Taps
ODDS: 7 Hollow-ups + 7 Arch-ups
-then-
For Time:
12 Muscle-ups
200m Run
21 Handstand Push-ups
200m Run
9 Muscle-ups
200m Run
15 Handstand Push-ups
200m Run
6 Muscle-ups
200m Run
9 Handstand Push-ups
Regionals Day 2 Events Announced!
Day 2 Events for the 2016 CrossFit Games Regionals have been announced and it's shaping up to be a fun and exciting weekend of competition! Check out all the workout details here as we await what Day 3 of the competition will bring.
You can also watch the CrossFit Games Update Show coverage of the 5 events that have been announced thus far (videos included below) - cool stuff for any CF Games fans... and fans of Coach Sarah who will tackle these workouts in just over a week!
WOD for 05-04-16:
7 Rounds, Start Every 3 Minutes:
18/15 Calorie Row
30 Double Unders
5 Power Cleans @ 185/125 lbs
If you cannot finish the prescribed work within the 3-minute interval, you must finish the round you are on, take the next round OFF, and then start again on the following round by dropping the row to the next lowest calorie scaling tier: 18/15 > 15/12 > 12/10.
Burpees & Spear Throwing + Regionals Day 1 Events Announced!
I was double-checking the last dates we performed "Part B" of Tuesday's workout below and it pulled up a throwback post and picture that I couldn't resist sharing again.
Here's a throwback to that time 3+ years ago when Arena Ready sent teams up to Sacramento to compete in both the Rx and Scaled divisions of the SacTown Throwdown competition, which (believe it or not) had an event that included burpees and spear throwing. No joke.
Handsome Mike apparently was a ninja at throwing spears (who knew?!). Awesome to see that everyone in this picture, except for Tyler and Mike who both moved (boo moving), is still a big part of the Arena Ready family.
Check out how little Elodie is!
The 2016 CrossFit Games Regional Day 1 Events for the individuals have been announced (check out the workout details here)... the last time there was a heavy snatch event at Regionals it worked out pretty well for Sarah, so we're hoping for another great event to start the competition off right! Go Sarah!
WOD for 05-03-16:
On a Running Clock...
A) From 0:00 - 8:00
Squat Snatch + Overhead Squat:
8 Minutes to Build to a Moderate Weight (Not Max)
The goal is simply to work up to something heavier than to be used in Part B, focusing on speed in the snatch and overall movement quality.
(From 8:00 - 10:00: Rest 2 Minutes & Re-Set Barbells)
B) From 10:00 - 16:00
"NorCal Sectional Event 1"
Against a 6-minute Clock:
800m Run, then
Max Rep Overhead Squats @ 115/75 lbs
(Compare to 02-05-15 and 04-08-13)
(From 16:00 - 18:00: Rest 2 Minutes & Re-Set/Rack Barbells)
C) From 18:00 - 38:00
Back Squat (Week 4, Day 1)
6x2 @ 80%
Across
Motivation Monday: Obsessed
Obsessed is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated.
WOD for 05-02-16:
8-8-8
Climbing, For Quality
Descent MUST be slower than the ascent. It does not have to be a "slow" movement overall, but the relative tempo on the way down has to be slower than on the way up. You must be able control the bar all the way back down to the traps/shoulders.
-then-
AMRAP 8 Minutes:
8 KB Goblet Squats @ 53/35 lbs
8 Burpee Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
8 Chest-to-Bar Pull-ups
Triple Tag Team & The Ultimate Warrior
I can't write the words "Tag Team" in the workout below and not think about the golden era of WWF (now "WWE") nonsense I used to watch as a kid. One day a while ago at the gym I asked everyone in class what their "entrance song" would be if they could choose one that played every time they walked into Arena Ready... you know, if they walked in like a crazed wrestler hopped-up on pre-workout about to suplex somebody.
Hands down, the king of entrances when I was young was the Ultimate Warrior. His energy was off the charts and I remember thinking how pumped I would get when he ran out for a match - it was like coffee couldn't start its day until being drunk by the Ultimate Warrior first.
So perhaps, even as ridiculous as it looks now when watching it as an adult, this video may provide you some energy for your Saturday Tag Team DT workout. Just make sure not to attempt any of the moves seen below with your teammates or the barbell. Safety first. Thanks in advance.
WOD for 04-30-16:
IN TEAMS OF THREE ATHLETES...
"TTTDT" ("Triple Tag Team DT")
AMRAP 20 Minutes:
12 Deadlifts @ 155/105 lbs
9 Hang Power Cleans
6 Push Jerks
*400m Run*
Athletes 1 and 2 start on the barbell triplet, with only one person working at a time.
*Athlete 3 starts outside and runs 400m before switching with a teammate. One teammate must always be running, and must always switch after 400m.
The team's score is total rounds + reps of the triplet completed.
Lost & Found: Spring Blowout Sale!
The gym's Lost & Found is once again having a blowout sale! Anything that's actually yours is $FREE NINETY-NINE, and anything left at the end of next week is fair game for us to send to the Arena Ready Rack (aka donated to The Salvation Army). So if you don't want to see Molly F. or the Flying Squirrel wearing your favorite blazer when meeting you out for dinner, I'd suggest taking a peak into the bin during the next week to potentially claim your loot - there's some nice stuff in there!
The Lost & Found bin is located next to the Power Supply fridge in AR North. Please also check the "water bottle graveyard" located on top of the cubbies - we'll also donate any of those that are left over at the end of next week.
Thanks for your attention!
Current Lost & Found contents not actually pictured above (sorry, this is an old picture)... but you get the point. Double-check to see if that sweatshirt you've been missing has been here all along!
WOD for 04-29-16:
ON A RUNNING CLOCK...
A) At 0:00:
Back Squat (Week 3, Day 2):
6x5 @ 80%
Across
B) At 32:00:
1600m Run
You pick the pace.
15 Days Until Regionals
Over 40 of you from Arena Ready were there last year to watch all of the action, and it looks like another big group will be making the trip down this year to cheer on Coach Sarah and witness some of the best CrossFitters on the planet do their thing at the 2016 CrossFit Games California "Super" Regional. Who remembers that awesome moment (at 0:50 in the video below) when Sarah set the Event 5 world record in 2015?!
Will you be there this year?
WOD for 04-28-16:
3-3-3-3-3
-then-
For Time:
21-15-9
Ring Dips
Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
Sumo Deadlift High Pulls @ 95/65 lbs
A Message From Kim
... to her Arena Ready family:
As the season comes to a close for me, I wanted to thank every single one of you for your support and encouragement during the Open and the Masters Qualifier. I am so honored to have our amazing coaches and to be able to call all of you my Arena Ready Family. There are so many people that I want to thank, my 6am crew, y'all know who you are! All of the Barbellers, the Gladiators, and truly every single one of you, from newbie to forever AR member, grinding for that extra rep, pushing me to be the best that I can be. To our incredible Coaches who teach us with passion and knowledge and care, I am so grateful! Kathy, your support has meant the world. Rob and Sarah, you have built a gym that all of us call home. It's such a beautiful thing! This weekend, all of you filled me with the strength to do more than I ever thought possible, with your messages and words of support, your fist bumps and your hugs. I am humbled. I leave you with this video (Editor's note: we posted a pic instead since the video was on Kim's phone) and the belief that anything is possible, if you trust your coaches, do the work and believe. 251!!!! Thank You!!!
WOD for 04-27-16:
Tabata:
Hang Power Cleans @ 135/95 lbs
Lateral Bar Burpees
Toes-to-Bar
Row for Calories
(Rest 1 Minute Between Movements)
The Tabata interval is 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest, and is repeated eight times (over the course of four minutes). Your score is the lowest rep count for each movement among the eight intervals.
This workout lasts 19 total minutes, including the 3 rest/transition minutes.
Things That Make You Say WOW
The CrossFit Games leaderboard is still shifting for the 2016 Masters Qualifier, so the final placings are not yet set. But what we do know is that Kim absolutely CRUSHED the four events this weekend, and ended the Qualifiers in style on Monday with an Event 1 re-do which earned her a 30+ second PR... on her birthday! Some of the evening classes celebrated with her by enjoying some (gluten free, haha) Kara's Cupcakes.
Kim (as of this writing) also currently has the 4th place worldwide score in Event 4, the nasty bar burpee /OHS/muscle-up workout. Sadly, that event did not have a tiebreaker time (come on CF Games, WTF?!) so her domination on the muscle-ups (she finished all 21 reps with over 7 minutes to spare under the time cap) doesn't get the overall scoring benefit that it should since every athlete who got exactly zero muscle-ups - and there were a lot of them - all tied for the same placing (i.e. not much separation in scoring to help Kim out). But that's the way the bumper plate bounces sometimes. Nevertheless, a phenomenal performance on a very challenging workout.
Perhaps the coolest moment of the weekend was Kim's HUGE deadlift 1RM in Event 2. She pulled 251 pounds for a 26 pound all-time PR... just about 2.5 times her bodyweight! Simply amazing.
What an inspirational performance by one of the toughest athletes we've had the privilege to know. Great work, Kim - and HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS to you!
WOD for 04-26-16:
Back Squat (Week 3, Day 1):
6x2 @ 80%
Across
-then-
4 Rounds for Time:
200m Run
21 Kettlebell Swings @ 53/35 lbs
12 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
Tommy Kono: 1930 - 2016
We heard of the sad news that Tommy Kono passed away on Sunday at the age of 85. Kono was a two-time Olympic Champion and six-time World Champion in weightlifting, and set world records in four different weight classes (the only lifter to ever do so). Kono coached Team USA at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, and continued to coach weightlifting through seminars and educational workshops for the majority of his life. He was also a pioneer in bodybuilding and was named "Mr. Olympia" three times.
Kono was born in Sacramento and has always been an icon in Northern California - several of our competitive weightlifters at Arena Ready have even competed in the annual PWA/USAW Tommy Kono Open. I never had the pleasure of meeting Tommy Kono myself, but Sarah did... very briefly. He has a special place in our heart, not only because of his NorCal roots, legendary status in the sport of weightlifting, and incredible life story, but because of the humor and grace he displayed during the above-mentioned brief meeting.
At the 2012 USAW National Championships Mr. Kono did the podium finishers the honor of placing the medals around their necks during the awards ceremony. Tommy Kono is maybe 5'5" tall... Sarah stands at 5'11" (almost unheard of in the sport of weightlifting for a female). After struggling a couple of times to reach up and get the ribbon around Sarah's head Mr. Kono looked up at her, shook her hand, and uttered a few words with a chuckle and a grin on his face. Sarah laughed in response as I snapped the fuzzy picture you see below - I didn't know at the time what it was that he said to make her laugh. When I saw her ten minutes later I gave her a hug, and said "Holy crap that was cool! That was Tommy Kono! What did he say to you?!"
Sarah laughed again and quoted Mr. Kono word for word, complete with the humorous tone he had in his voice...
"Very LONG pull."
To this day we laugh about it and find ourselves enjoying the story, and how true and accurate his words were. When I heard the news of his passing on Sunday I instantly checked my photo archive to see if I still had the picture of that magical moment Sarah shared with a sporting legend. I'm so glad it was still on my phone.
Thank you, Tommy Kono, for all that did for the sport of weightlifting. You will be missed.
WOD for 04-25-16:
Alternating EMOM for 5 Rounds (10 Minutes):
ODDS: 3 Push Jerks, Climbing - no rack
EVENS: 15/12 Calorie Row
-then-
AMRAP 12 Minutes:
3 Rounds of "Cindy"
5 Shoulder-to-Overhead @ 155/105lbs
1 Round of "Cindy" is:
5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Air Squats